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Are you sick of chore charts? Nagging got you down? Find yourself thinking that doing it yourself is just easier anyway?
I’ve been there. It’s not my happy place.
Let me show you how a household chores schedule can help you get your family organized. I’ll even introduce you to a chores and allowance app that will do a lot of the work for you.
Sponsored post: I received this product free of charge in exchange for my time and sharing my honest opinion. See our disclosure policy for details.
I was bent over, creeping around my house. You know the stoop – when you have so much to pick up you just hover above the ground instead of standing up and bending down a thousand times.
I’d picked up most of the Duplos and started working on the Legos. I had wooden puzzle pieces in my armpit, and there was a cup clenched between my teeth.
As I extended my last free finger to grab a discarded sock, I heard a crash behind me and a dozen matchbox cars were rolling all over the room.
Come on now.
I’m not writing to tell you about how I lost my mind on my children that day. Yeah, that happened. Nobody’s perfect. I can’t even to pretend to be (too much effort).
I’m writing to share what I did about it.
Household Chores Schedule
My three kids are dumping out more than I can pick up. I can’t get this done alone.
I know my children are old enough to help around the house. They can make their beds. They can clean up their toys. They can get the toilet paper inside the toilet.
The problem is – unless I am right on top of them nagging them every minute, they don’t.
Things are running more smoothly now that I’ve created a household chores schedule. I’m going to share a few of my secrets to motivating my kids to do their chores – without the nagging.
- A consistent schedule
- Practice, practice, practice again
- An incentive to do a great job
I’m not doing this alone. I have virtual help – a chore and allowance app that does a lot of the work for me.
It’s not going to teach your kids how to clean their rooms, but it will save you from reminding them 20 times a day.
In a hurry? >>>Try the free version of Homey
A Consistent Schedule for Household Chores
Keeping up the house is sorta like running around putting out fires all day. Running from one disaster area to another – just trying to catch up.
We need to stop waiting to put out fires and start preventing them.
When it comes to chores, consistency is key.
- Make a list of what needs to get done everyday – the bare minimum
- What time do the chores need to happen?
- Who will be responsible for what?
Set the expectation. Your kids need to know what to do and when to do it. Make it a consistent part of your routine everyday, and you won’t find yourself reminding them to put their breakfast dishes away at 6 o’clock at night.
Practice, Practice, Practice Again
After you’ve figured out the what and when – it’s time to practice the how.
It’s easy to forget that our kids need to be taught how to complete their chores. A seemingly simple instruction like, “Go wipe the kitchen table,” can absolutely boggle their minds.
“Wipe it with what? Which table? Should I knock all the crumbs onto the floor? Do I only wipe this tiny corner? This is so hard. Woe is me! I give up!”
I’ve found that the best way to be super clear about expectations is to demonstrate what you want and practice until they get it right. Then demonstrate and practice again… and again.
Remember, they are learning. Whether you’re teaching them multiplication tables, when to say please and thank you, or when to make their beds – they’re going to need some reminders and practice!
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An Incentive for Household Chores
For a long time, I was against paying my children for chores. This was before I had three children and more chores than one person can possibly handle.
I threatened and I nagged. But threatening and nagging doesn’t work in our house.
When I use threats and nagging instead of incentives, my kids become resentful. I understand they’ll probably never love chores, but I don’t want them to resent doing their chores either. Plus, nagging is a drag. I don’t have the energy to do it all day long!
As I met my wit’s end, I turned to the internet for help. Have you been there?
It was suggested to me that I need to make a distinction between Responsibilities and Paid Chores. A light bulb went off!
Of course! I don’t want to pay my kids to brush their teeth and make their beds, but I would pay them to go above and beyond their day-to-day responsibilities.
Suddenly an earned allowance sounded like a great idea.
Implementing Your Household Chores Schedule
I’ve done sticker charts, chore magnets, and I’ve made punch cards. Do they work? Yes. But so will you.
Here’s the problem with chore charts – even when the kids are keeping track of their chores, you’re the one keeping track of the chart. You’ll be moving the magnets, doling out the stickers, and trying to remember who did what and when each day.
Don’t add another task to your list.
I’m so excited to share a chores and allowance app that addresses all of our needs. It’s called Homey, and it has made a HUGE difference in both the chores that get done and the general attitude toward them!
Homey is an app that you set up for your children to use. No more remembering to move the magnets every night. No more forgetting who did what and when at the end of the week. This app does tracks everything for you.
Easily Schedule Household Chores with Homey
Homey has all the features I need to schedule chores and track allowance, but this app goes above and beyond.
Schedule
Create a custom chore schedule for each child in your family.
√ Set up a consistent schedule for each of your children, individually
√ Assign chores daily, weekly, or on specific days
√ Set a deadline or keep times flexible
Practice Makes (close to) Perfect
No, the app isn’t going to teach your child how to make their bed, but it will help them (and you) keep an eye on how well they’re performing.
Inside the Homey app, you can choose to require photo evidence that your child’s chore has been completed.
Hey! I know what you’re thinking. “Girrrrrl, put down your phone and just walk into your child’s room to check their bed. It’s not that hard.”
But here’s the thing – I don’t have to check chores anymore. My kids are the ones checking.
This is a photo of my son taking a picture after he made his bed. That picture doesn’t get taken until he is satisfied with how it is done.
We’ve practiced enough that he knows what it looks like when his chores are complete. Looking through the camera forces him to take a moment, assess his own work, and make sure it is done well.
Incentive
I’m going to tell you how the allowance aspect of the app works, but I need to note: My kids enjoy using this app. Checking off chores they’ve done, taking a picture, and watching their piggy bank fill up is FUN for a kid. The novelty of using the app is motivation in itself.
My favorite part of Homey is that it distinguishes between Jobs and Responsibilities. What you pay for, how much, and the requirements for getting paid are completely up to you. The app tracks all of the responsibilities and jobs my son has completed and keeps a record of what he’s earned.
I’ll share what options I chose for my six year old son:
- He has 6 daily responsibilities that include chores like making his bed, putting away his laundry, and brushing his teeth (without argument)
- At the end of the week, if he’s completed 85% or more of his responsibilities he earns $3
- I set up an additional one job each day – extras like wiping the bathroom sink and vacuuming my car
- Each job is set at $1
- He must complete all of his responsibilities before he can complete his job for the day
I love that he is motivated to complete his responsibilities and his jobs.
Homey Chores and Allowance App
Have you had it with sticker charts and nagging? Ready for your kids to take on more responsibility and complete their chores without the ‘tude?
>>>Try Homey Free<<<
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Ashley helps parents who want to homeschool find the resources they need to successfully teach their children. Ashley is a former teacher, current homeschooler, published author, and designer behind Circle Time with Miss Fox printables as well as the creator of this website, The Homeschool Resource Room.
Turning wet inside-out laundry right-side in before throwing it into the dryer! Getting my hands stuck in mini pants and sleeves drives me bonkers!!! 😝
But mini pants and sleeves <3 <3 <3 So cute!
I hate doing the dishes! I can’t wait until my kids are able to do it on their own! Right now they empty everything except the knives and the glass stuff. But I still load it, so I can play dish tetris and fill it completely.
Dish Tetris, lololol!